Military Benefits

Share This Page

Free Rides to VA Hospitals

You’ve served in our armed forces. You’ve become disabled through an illness or injury related to your time in the service and are now in the civilian world. And although your disability is covered through a VA hospital, getting there can be difficult.

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) may be able to help. This organization began in 1920 to assist service members returning from World War I and has grown to over 1.2 million volunteers over the years, helping veterans and their families receive the assistance they are entitled to through the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. They also provide rides to veterans to VA hospitals, free of charge.

When the federal government ended its own program to transport veterans, the DAV stepped up to the plate. There are 189 Hospital Service Coordinators across the country who help coordinate drivers and disabled veterans. Unfortunately, there are over 1700 hospitals and outpatient programs across the nation; not all VA medical facilities are covered. Give the coordinators plenty of time to facilitate your transportation needs.

Many veterans are on a fixed income and/or located quite a distance from their closet VA hospital; the choices are spending money they don’t have (many use their grocery or heating money) or don’t see the doctor. Help our vets so that they can avoid making such a decision. Get involved by volunteering to drive, either using your own car the local chapter’s donated van (if they have one). Donate to help defray the costs involved in running this all-volunteer program as well as the other programs DAV runs.